Cleaning device for hot-air-furnace pipes



May s, 1928.

T. RUSSELL CLEANING DEVICE FOR HOT AIR FURNACE PIPES Filed April 5. 19242 Sheets-Sheet 1 z as .Fdsse w,-

May 8, 1928. 1,669,101

T. RUSSELL I CLEANING DEVICE FOR HO'I AIR FURNACE PIPES Filed April 5,1924 2 Sheets-Shes}, 2-

Patented May 8, 1928.

. UNITE STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

mus new or ALBION, mcmean, assrenoa 'ro 110mm romuca ca, or

HOLLAND, mronrean.

CLEANING DEVICE FOR HOT-AIR-FURNACE PIPES.

Application fled April 5, 1824. Serial No. 704,524.

This invention relates to cleaning devices and has more particularreference to a means whereby the pipes of hot air furnaces may bereadily relieved oftheir soot without the necessity of disassembling thesame.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a cleaningdevice of the above character that includes suction and brushing meansoperable by a suitable power plant that may be inserted through thefurnace pipes for adequately sucking the dirt and soot from thelnteriorthereof.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide cleaningmeans for hot air furnace ipes that include interchangeable parts'wereby the exterior surface of the furnace pipes may be also cleaned andthis in such a manner as to prevent the spattering of the dustthroughout the cellar or other rooms of the home or building.

An additional and important object is to provide means of the abovecharacter wherein a motor vehicle engine may be equipped with devicesfor the operation of 2 the suction and brushing mechanism in theoperation of the vehicle engine. 7 p

An additional object is to rovide means for'permanent attachment to t epower shaft of a vehicle engine and particularly one of so the Fordautomobile type whereby the suction pipe of the resent invention and therotar cleaning rush may be detachably assoclated therewith.

' With the foregoing and other objects in at view, as the nature of theinvention will-be better understood, the same comprises the tion fanadapted to have associated there-' with a suction pipe of afiexiblenature and of a suitable length that may be inserted within the'furnacepipes in the cleaning of soot, etc., from the interior thereof,

Figure 2 is a detailed sectional view closing more clearly theconstruction thereof,

ltional view of the flexible pipe taken subthrough the connectionbetween said suction fan and the crank shaft of the vehicle englne, saidsuction fan being fragmentarily shown in cross section,

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the suction fan per se, thefront removable wall thereof being partly broken away,

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a brush carrying mechanism thatis equipped wlth means operable by the suction of the air passingtherethrough in-the rotation of the brush,'said brush mechanism beingdetachably associated with the forward end of the before mentionedflexible pipe as shownand said flexible pipe being fragmentarily shownin longitudinal cross, section for dis the attachment to the fan casingbeing indicated at the left,

Figure 5 is a front end elevational view of said brush mechanismdisposed within a pipe for setting forth more clearly the means formaintaining said brush mechanism-centrally disposed within the pi e andagainst relative vibratory movement t erein.

Figure 6 is a detail transverse cross secstaitially upon the line 66 ofFigure 4, an

Figure 7 is a detail lon itudinal sectional view of another form ofsuction operable brushing means that ma be detachably associated withthe end of t e before mentioned suction pipe for use in the cleaning ofthe exterior surfaces of the stove pipes.

First having particular reference to F igures 1, 2 and 3 of thedrawings, my invention includes among other elements, a desirable formof universal 'oint designated generally 5, preferably of the type thatincludes a relatively large circular collar 6 and arelatively smallercollar 7, the openin through which is of an angular nature. '%his formof universal joint is generally well lmown,

and the collars 6 and 7 are formed with spaced radial fingers at theiradjacent ends interposed between which is a leather disk l 8 which isconnected to. the fingers of the collars through the medium of bolt andnut connections as shown.

The innermost. collar 6 of this universal joint 5 is adapted forengagement over the usual inner rim of the an belt pulley A upon the endof the crank shaft of an engine B, preferably of the type serving as apower 110 plant for an automobile machine designated generally (3.Adapted for insertion through the usual crank handle bearing, upon tfront frame member of the automobile, is a rod shaft 9 the opposite endsof which are beveled andrnulti-sided, the innermost end adapted forengagement within the foremost collar 7 of said universal joint 5.

Rigidly attached to the opposite frame bars aa of the automobile machineand at the front end thereof are plates 1()1O the forward ends of whichextend beyond the radiator of the machine as shown in Figure 1, saidforward ends thereof being rounded.

Adapted for rigid attachment to the front end of the machine C throughthe medium of said plates 10-10 is a suction fan desig nated generallyby the reference character 11. As-clearly shown in Figure 3 this suctionfan constitutes the PI'OVlSlOIl of a front open-sided circular casing 12that is formed with a tangential discharge 13. The rear wall of saidcasin 12 is formed with a central opening 14 t' rough which is extendeda bearing sleeve 15 formed centrally of a fan wheel 16 disposed withinsaid casing 12. This sleeve 15 is journaled within a bearing collar 17that is carried by an angle bar 18 welded or riveted to the rear wall ofsaid fan casing 12.

The opposite ends of this angle bar 18 are formed with upstandingfingers 19-19 that are in turn formed with sleeves 20-20 for arrangementupon the front. rounded ends of sai plate 10- 1() upon the vehiclechassis bars 0-01. Said sleeves carry set screws 21 -21 whereby the fanunits may be rigidly secured in position upon the front end of theautomobile. v

The forward end of the rod shaft 9 above described is adapted forengagement within the fan wheel carrying sleeve 15 whereby when themotor B is operated, a rotation will be imparted to the fan wheel 16 fordrawing air through a' central collared opening 22 formed centrally ofthe fan casing cover plate 23 that may be rigidly attached to the openside of the casing in a manner preferably as shown in Fi re 3.

Adapted for rigid detachable engagement with the collar of said fancasing cover plate opening is one end of a flexible hose 23 of 2 anydesirable length, it being of course necessary that the length of thishose be, sufiicient to enable the same tobe passed entirely throu h thedifferent pipes of a hot air furnace; T is hose 23' preferablyconstructed of an impervious casing 24, Figure 4, withinwhich arearranged longitudinally extending spaced straps 25 to which areattached'spaced metal bands or rings 26 for obviously preventing thecollapsing. of the tube cas 'n Adapt for detachable rigid engagementupon the forward end of said hose 23' are measles brush units designatedgenerally 27 and 28 p in Figures 4: and 7, respectively.

The brushing unit 27 is adapted for association with the hose 23 when itis desired to clean the interior of stove pipes. This unit constitutesthe provision of a relatively elongated sheet metal collar 29 forarrangement at its inner end over said end of the hose. At the front andrear ends of said collar 29 there is formed cross bars 30 centrally ofeach of which is formed a shaft bearing 31 through which is extended asuction fan shaft 32. Intermediate the bearing supports for said shaftthe same carries two or more longitudinally extending curved blades 33through the medium of which said shaft is rotated by the impinging ofthe air, dirt or soot thereagainst which is drawn into this unitthrough'the medium of the suction the brush member per so as well as thesuction member will entirely relieve the interior of the'pipe of alldust, dirt, soot, etc. For maintaining the unit 27 centrally within thepipe D, Figure 5 and against relative vibratory movement therein, thecollar 29 of the unit is equipped with a plurality of longitudinallyextending spaced outwardly bulged leaf spring members 37 that aresecured at their forward ends to the outside of the collar 29 and thatare slidable at their inner free ends through guide brackets 38 carriedbysaid collar. It

will be manifest that the nature of these,

sprin s 37 is such as to permit the proper diposition of the brush unit27 within stove pipes of various diameters.

The unit 28 as disclosed in Figure is to be used in the cleaning of theexterior sur faces of the furnace pipes and in this instance said unitconstitutes-the provision of a collar 39 that is adapted to be arran ed'u on the end of thehose 23' in lieu of the be ore "described unit 27. Atthe front and rear ends of this collar 39 are also cross arms 40-40 thatare formed centrally with hearing members 41 within which are arran ed'the opposite end of a fan shaft 42 at carries fan blades 43 similar'inall respects to the fan blade 33 of the unit 27.

The forward endof this collar 39 is provided with a bent finger shapedpipe section,

44 that may consist of a multiplicity of pivotally jointed sections. Theunderside. of this pipe section 44 is formed with a longitudinalvopening 45 that increases in in a be momma" depth'at the inner end ofthe section toward the forward end thereof for pursoses herein-' afterto be more fully desoribe Arranged within this pipe section 44 are aplurality of shaft hangers 46 and extending through the pipe section isa sectional shaft 47 that is journaled within said hangers and thesections of which are joined together throu h the medium of universaljoints 48. Eac

49 and it will be' obvious that in actual use this curved finger pipesection 44 is ada ted to be engaged over the external sur ace of a pipeand the operation of the brushes 49 through the medium at the retationof the fan within the collar 39 under the action of the suction fan 11of the present mechanism the dirt will be brushed from the pipe andeffectively drawn inwardly through the collar and then into the hose 23"and subsequently out of the 'fan casing tangential outlet 13 to becaught or other suitable container.

It wi 1 thus be seen that I have provided a highly novel and eflicientmeans for cleana of these shaft sections 47' carries acylindrical-shaped brush element-I claim as new and desire to secure bythe interiors and exteriors of stove pipes and even though I have hereinshown and described a. particular manner in which the movable elementsnamely, the suction -fan and brush operating fan are operated, it isnevertheless to be understood thatde artures may be hadfrom the showingwi out affecting the spirit andsoope of the appended Having thusdescribed my invention, vilzat ters Patent, is:-

In 'a pipe cleaning apparatus a flexible suction hose, a collar carriedby the hose, bowed rings anchored at one end upon the exterior of thecollar and adapted to engage theinterior of a pipe, rotary bladesjournaled for rotation in the collar to rotate about the axis of thecollar and curved longitudinall of the collar to be rotated by thecurrent 0 airexhausted thereinto,'clean1ng v brush element exterior ofthe said'collar eonnected to the blades and adapted to be driven by theaction'of the blades. j I

In testimony whereof I aflix n6 sisfitlzire.

v'IITUS R S

